A lifeguard chair sits empty in this file photo, one of many times the Lake Ontario Beach was closed to swimmers due to algae. Phosphorus runoff into the Genesee River contributes to the algae growth.

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Editorial

Sitting at the lip of the world's largest supply of fresh water, Rochester has an enviable advantage - and a significant responsibility. As human activity continues to diminish water quality in Lake Ontario - and the other Great Lakes - private citizens, municipal leaders and elected officials must work together to mitigate such threats.

The issue has not gone unnoticed. A regional summit this month looked at one source of water pollution, but a big one: runoff of phosphorus and sediments along the Genesee River, which flows north into Lake Ontario. One need only recall the too-common ...